Thinking to get on a yoga mat to improve your health? Find 10 yoga tips to help you get started or proceed with your yoga practice.
Today many resources are speaking of women’s, and men’s health benefits yoga can provide. But all these can be achieved only if your practice is well-organized and safe.
The below yoga tips will help you stay on the protected and healthy side of your practice.
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Really stick to your schedule
There will be a time in your practice when you feel too tired to exercise or another TV series will look more attractive than doing strange pretzel-like poses.
To improve your health with yoga – work on being regular and persistent in your practice. Doing a couple of classes here and a couple there – won’t do much good to your body. So try to stay stable with scheduling your classes, ask for support from your classmates and tutor. Seek motivation.
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Spot the need
To really get the health benefits of yoga – think about what you want from it. Doing power yoga may not be so effective if your goal is to become more flexible. Of course, with time and practice, you can maintain more flexibility, but it will be more effective to go for Yin yoga, where they have slow-paced asanas that work towards stretching and releasing the body blocks.
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Shift the focus
Yoga impacts mental health via training the skill to focus your attention. So, try to concentrate more on “where your attention is at the moment?”. This will help you get in tune with your body and mind, become calmer and get rid of annoying thoughts in your head.
You are the only person who will know when the load is enough or too much. Yoga is not something you can achieve; it’s more of the process of experiencing that makes you more mindful, lowers the anxiety, and brings peace.
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Who’s your instructor?
Picking the right person:
Make sure you know the qualifications of the instructor who will conduct the classes. Please don’t be shy to ask for certificates and yoga for health educational programs he or she has completed. You may have a small chat before deciding, ask about the instructor’s path in yoga, what styles they practice and where they learn, and personal qualities. It’s ok to sign up for a class led by a practitioner with 2-3 years of experience, but you should be aware of this.
Tutor’s cues: to listen or not to listen?
When at class – listen attentively to the yoga tips of the instructor and try to follow them. Be mindful of your body’s condition, and don’t allow the tutor to force you in any position – verbally or physically.
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Get a yoga look of the day
The quality of your yoga uniform and mat really matters!
Yoga clothes:
Too tight pants will make your yoga practice awkward and can be a real distraction. Wide-leg yoga pants may look nice on the Instagram photo, but if they prevent you from placing your leg into the right and safe position – you should get rid of those. Pick yoga clothes made of natural material, sturdy and tear-resistant so you can use it longer. The yoga clothes should let air to your skin and be elastic to provide you with freedom of movement.
Yoga mat:
Most yoga tips suggest that yoga mat should give you stability; your hands shouldn’t slide on its surface when you are in the Downward facing dog. For light yoga practice, like Yin yoga, you can go for thin mats – 0.03-0.04 sm; for more active ones, like Ashtanga or Vinyasa flow, choose thicker mats that are tear-resistant. If your knees, skin, or other parts of you are sensitive – your choice is thicker mat – 0.06mm.
Yoga studio
Make sure you like the studio. The room should be well-ventilated and with a comfortable temperature depending on the season of the year. Air-conditioners should not be blowing right at your lower back.
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Diet matters
It’s a good idea to watch your diet. With time, as your sensitivity grows, you’ll feel that some kinds of food are too heavy or make you feel sick. And you may feel like starting juicing with a blender some of your favorite fresh cocktails.
Before the class – stay away from a greasy burger and go for light yogurt or fresh salad.
If you are a smoker, try not to smoke several hours before the class as that will make your breathing difficult. And of course, partying all night before the yoga practice can make you feel exhausted.
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It shouldn’t hurt
No matter if you do yoga for back health or relaxation, pain is the first signal you should stop doing what you are doing. Slight uneasiness and tension in muscles and joints are ok, but sharp pain is not the case. Make sure you know when you feel discomfort that is still manageable to handle and where it’s already a painful SOS situation.
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Ride on the wave, don’t fight it
In the beginning, you may not be able to keep up with all classes – and that’s ok. Believe in your pace and honor it, know your body’s peculiarities and history and use yoga for a healthier life. Don’t fight your pace or your body with yoga. If any asana feels difficult or painful – ask for help and use modifications to adjust it for your body. Use props to support your joints and go deeper into the pose. Increase the loads gradually as your strength and flexibility grows.
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Stay inside your body
Refrain from comparing yourself to other people in the class or your tutor. Compare your body today with your body yesterday – that’s the only criteria that should be evaluated.
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Enjoy!
The most straightforward but not obvious tip about yoga is to enjoy what you are doing. Your mental and physical health will benefit from yoga as long as you feel happy to attend the class. Until it feels nice and energizing to do yoga, then do it. Anything that keeps endorphins level up – will work to improve well-being.
Follow these small yoga tips for beginners and experienced yogis to use all yoga tools for healthier life. Namaste!
Author’s Bio:
Kevin has been writing content for about 3 years. He really wants to share his experiences and advice with anyone who cares about health and fitness. He enjoys helping people achieve their fitness goals with simple instructions and overcoming any obstacles on the way.
Image sources:
Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash
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Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
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